CUC projects contractor: Telling CW-1 workers to leave by 2019 ‘horrible thing’

Tano Group’s Robert Bracken speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s pipeline and Tank 102 replacement projects at CUC Power Plant in Lower Base on Friday afternoon. (Ferdie De La Torre)

A contractor for many Commonwealth Utilities Corp. projects has stated that without CW-1 workers they could not make projects in the CNMI and that telling them to leave by 2019 is “a horrible thing.”

Tano Group’s Robert Bracken in an interview said they could not be able to do projects with CUC and other agencies in the CNMI without the CW-1 workers.

“That is our skilled labor force. Those are the welders, those are the feeders, those are the guys that know how to work…” Bracken said.

In his remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for CUC pipeline and Tank 102 replacement projects on Friday, Bracken expressed his strong support to CUC’s efforts to keep its CW-1 workers.

Bracken said he was talking earlier with CUC counsel James Sirok about CUC’s foreign workers workforce.

“It’s such a shame to even think about losing some of our skilled workers,” he said.

Bracken said their company and their foreign workers have been working with CUC for 20 years or over now.

He noted that CUC has a great team and has such a really good workforce.

“2019, guys show is over. You can’t stay anymore. For me, that’s a horrible thing,” Bracken said, referring to the CW-1 program that is scheduled to end on Dec. 31, 2019.

He said he is hoping that “we can give something” to allow these CW-1 workers to stay in the CNMI and be productive.

In an interview, Bracken disclosed that in the pipeline and Tank 102 projects, their company’s 23 active CW-1 workers and an average of 22 locals were involved.

Bracken said it took them six months to build the tank and more than six months to work with the pipeline project.

Tano Group is the subcontractor for the pipeline project and the general contractor for the Tank 102.

Bracken said their CW-1 workers are all from the Philippines, who have been working for the company for probably an average of 18 years and some of them for more than 20 years.

He said all of their CW-1 workers will be affected come 2019 in one way or another.

This year, Bracken said, they have been fortunate to not have issues with their petitions for CW-1 permits.

He said they followed the suggestions and applied six months prior.

Bracken said among of their CW-1 workers are project engineers.

For Tano Group, Bracken said, they do business regionally in the Pacific so their home base is Saipan.

He said they chose Saipan as their home base because of the immigration rules and regulations that preceded the CW-1 program, or the federal taking over CNM immigration.

Bracken said the guest workers program back then would allow their workers easy travel throughout Micronesia.

He said Tano Group has done projects in Pohnpei, Chuuk, Palau, or wherever Mobil Oil has a facility.

“Come 2019 we hope that something happens. It doesn’t look good right now,” Bracken pointed out.